Understanding Parking Citations and Enforcement April 5, 2025

Parking Ticket Violation Codes: What They Mean and How to Look Them Up

The code on your parking ticket tells you exactly what you were cited for. Here's how to look up violation codes in major cities and what the most common ones mean.

The code printed on your parking ticket is not decorative. It is the specific ordinance or regulation you are alleged to have violated — and understanding it is essential both for deciding whether to appeal and for crafting a successful challenge if you choose to.

This guide explains what violation codes mean, how to look them up in major cities, and which codes are most commonly cited. It also covers why a code error on your ticket — the wrong code for the stated violation — can be grounds for dismissal.

What Violation Codes Are

Every jurisdiction that issues parking citations does so under a body of law — usually a municipal traffic or parking code. Each specific prohibition in that code is assigned an alphanumeric identifier: a violation code.

When an officer cites your vehicle, they enter the relevant code into their handheld device. That code determines:

The official name of the violation
The base fine amount
The legal basis the city is relying on

Violation codes vary by city — there is no national standard. Los Angeles uses a numerical system tied to the California Vehicle Code and the LAMC. Chicago uses its own municipal code. New York City has a distinct system established by the NYC Administrative Code.

This means a code of “80.69(a)” means something specific in Los Angeles (blocking a bicycle lane) and is irrelevant in Chicago, which uses an entirely different numbering scheme.

How to Look Up Your Violation Code

Step 1: Identify the issuing city. The citation will list the issuing authority — city, county, or agency.

Step 2: Go to the city’s official parking violations website. Most cities with significant parking enforcement publish a complete fine schedule that lists each code and its description.

Step 3: Search for your code. The fine schedule is usually a PDF or searchable table. Enter your code exactly as it appears on the ticket.

Major city resources:

New York City: The NYC Finance Department publishes a parking violation code list with code numbers, descriptions, and fine amounts
Los Angeles: LADOT publishes a code list tied to California Vehicle Code (CVC) and Los Angeles Municipal Code (LAMC) sections
Chicago: The Chicago Department of Finance publishes a parking violation fee schedule on the city’s official site
San Francisco: SFMTA’s violation code list is published on sfmta.com

For smaller cities, search [city name] parking violation codes or [city name] parking fine schedule to find the official document.

Most Common Parking Violation Codes and What They Mean

While codes differ by city, the underlying violations are fairly consistent across jurisdictions. These are the most frequently issued violation types:

Expired Meter

The most common parking citation in the United States. The vehicle was parked at a meter after the paid time expired. Typical base fine: $45–$80 in most cities, higher in central business districts.

Look for codes with terms like “meter expired,” “metered zone,” or references to city code sections governing metered parking.

Street Cleaning or Street Sweeping Violation

Parking during designated street cleaning hours. These restrictions are posted on signs with specific days and times. The violation code in most cities references the applicable sign restriction.

Fine amounts vary widely: $65–$150+ in high-enforcement cities. Street cleaning violations are among the most appealed citations because the restriction schedules are complex and signs sometimes become obscured or damaged.

The appeal grounds: if the sign was damaged, missing, or illegible at the time of the violation, document it with photos. For a detailed breakdown of time-restriction appeals, see our guide to fighting a parking ticket.

No Parking Zone

A vehicle parked in an area posted with No Parking signs or designated as a no-parking zone by pavement markings. This covers everything from temporary construction no-parking zones to permanent restrictions.

Fine amounts: generally in the $65–$115 range, higher if the restriction is safety-related.

Fire Hydrant Clearance

One of the most consistently enforced violations. Most jurisdictions require a minimum clearance of 15 feet from a fire hydrant (federal NFPA standards recommend this; local codes vary slightly). The clearance requirement exists for fire suppression access — engines need to connect hose lines to hydrants quickly.

Fines are typically among the highest in the parking code — $100–$175 base fine in many cities — reflecting the safety rationale.

Blocking a Crosswalk or Intersection

Parking within a specified distance of a crosswalk or intersection (often 20–30 feet from a crosswalk, 30 feet from a stop sign). These are safety-related violations affecting pedestrian visibility.

Double Parking

Parking parallel to another vehicle that is legally parked at the curb, blocking a travel lane. This is a significant disruption violation in dense urban areas and carries relatively high fines.

Permit Parking Without a Valid Permit

Parking in a designated permit zone without the required residential, business, or visitor permit displayed. Permit zones are established by city ordinance and managed by neighborhood or district.

Common grounds for appeal: the permit was present but not visible; the zone boundary was unclear; the permit was valid but had an error; the permit was for the correct zone but from the prior year and the driver had an updated one not yet displayed.

Bus Zone or Transit Stop

Parking in a designated bus zone, bus stop, or transit stop. These carry relatively high fines in most cities because they disrupt transit operations. In some cities, blocking a bus zone is subject to the same fine as blocking a fire hydrant.

Accessible Parking Space Violation

Covered in detail in our ADA parking ticket appeal guide. These violations carry among the highest base fines in most city parking codes.

When the Violation Code on Your Ticket Is Wrong

A citation referencing the wrong violation code — where the code listed does not match the stated violation, or where the code references a restriction that does not apply to the location or time — is a factual error in the citation.

This matters for two reasons:

First, the fine amount may be wrong. Different violations carry different fines. If you were cited under a high-fine code that does not apply to your situation, the amount you are being asked to pay may not be the correct amount for the actual alleged violation.

Second, the legal basis for the citation may be contested. If the code does not apply, the city has not accurately cited the legal authority for the violation. This is a basis for dismissal, though hearing officers apply varying levels of strictness to code errors.

How to identify a code error:

Look up your violation code using the city’s official code list
Confirm that the code’s description matches the stated violation on your ticket
Confirm that the code applies to the location and time in question

Example: If you are cited for a meter violation but the code on your ticket references a permit zone restriction, and the location is a metered space with no permit requirement, there is a code mismatch. Present the city’s own code definitions alongside your ticket in your appeal.

Violation Code Prefixes and What They Indicate

In cities that use complex code systems, prefixes or number ranges often indicate violation categories:

CVC (California Vehicle Code): Violations cited under the state vehicle code rather than the local municipal code. These are standardized across California and include standard safety-related violations.

LAMC / SMC / NYAC: References to city-specific municipal code sections. Unique to each jurisdiction.

Suffix letters (a), (b), (c): Subsections of a code. The full code including subsection is what matters — citing the wrong subsection can sometimes be significant if different subsections carry different requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

What if there is no violation code on my ticket? A citation without a violation code or ordinance reference may be contestable on that basis alone in some jurisdictions, because the city has not identified the legal authority for the fine. Check your local rules — some cities require a code citation on every notice.

Can I look up the officer’s citation notes? In most cities, yes — the officer’s notes and any photos taken at the time of issuance are part of the citation record and can be requested through the appeal process. These records can be useful for understanding exactly what the officer observed and for identifying discrepancies.

Does every parking violation in a city have its own code? Yes — every fine assessed must be tied to a specific ordinance. In practice, some codes cover broad categories (e.g., “all metered parking violations”) rather than highly specific situations, but there is always a code.

If I appeal based on a wrong violation code, do I still have to pay something if the right code applies? Possibly. A hearing officer who agrees the wrong code was cited might still find that the correct code covers the underlying facts and assess the correct fine. Whether they do this depends on the city’s administrative rules and the hearing officer’s discretion. Some officers dismiss on the error; others correct and assess the appropriate fine.

Are violation codes the same as fine amounts? No — the code identifies the violation type; the fine amount is separately established in the city’s fine schedule. The same code may carry different fine amounts depending on whether the violation was a first offense, a repeat offense, or occurred in a specific zone.